Hiring a Confinement Nanny (Part 1)

While I had the luxury of having my mom took care of me during my previous confinement, this time round I have decided on hiring a confinement nanny (CN) instead. My mom is getting on in years and she’s needed to look after my nephew so after reviewing some of the agencies online, I have decided to go with PEM Confinement Nanny Agency.

There are pros and cons of hiring a nanny; many could also debate the need of having to hire one. I was apprehensive to hire one myself. Would we get use to having a stranger around the house? She needs to sleep in a room on her own but what if I preferred her to sleep with newborn, and the newborn has to sleep in the baby cot placed in my room? After much thought, I felt that I needed to have that extra hand to do all the chores while I get my much needed rest.

The few reasons that made me decided on having a nanny this time round was:

Good yummy confinement food – I wanted to have those confinement dishes; provided I’m lucky enough to get one that cooks well. You could either hire by your own through referrals or through an an agency. I decided on the latter after going through several referrals and overseas text to try to arrange for one myself. It was messy – all the aunties keep calling me with an oversea number and I couldn’t keep track of who is who. Many also thought I am confirming them already and I was suppose to pass them the deposit if they come to meet me for an ‘interview’. While I understand it takes them time and effort to meet me, It is not possible for me to simply confirm their role just through the phone. I opted for the agency ultimately because I worried that my deposit would be cheated and with an agency, I get the assurance that a CN will definitely turn up at my door (I heard of last minute no-shows and CN who gave excuses running away half a month into the confinement period!). I also do not need to do all the work permit paperwork on my own. From my understanding, PEM allows you to do free replacement (up to 2 times) if you find that the CN is unsuitable. If I had arrange for the aunty myself, I will be stuck with her for that entire month if I had an issue with her – so not worth my money!

Cost – Apparently, all the ‘experienced nanny I tried to look for on my own cost SGD2,800 and above, some even quoted me SGD3,500. PEM charges are lower than the above (You can email me to ask the exact cost). Not including the red packets you are suppose to give, or any reimbursements etc.

No laundry and household chores for the entire month! My arranged CN was suppose to do household chores twice a week which is good enough. You can also request/ arrange for her to wash up the laundry for the entire household! But don’t forget the primary person she is suppose to look after is you and your newborn.

24-hour Newborn care. When we didn’t have a CN the last time round, the husband and I took turns to wake to carry the baby from the cot for feeding. It can happen every 2 -3 hourly. Or if you’re lucky to have a sleeper you get to sleep more. We were quite exhausted from the feeding, washing and hourly changing of explosive nappies. Which also leads to the next point..

I needed someone to wash up all those bottles/pumps and sterilize it every single time we use it. This could take up a lot of my time if I have to do it myself.

For those who are lazy to open another window to view, you can refer to the general list of what PEM nanny does over here:

Even with a confinement nanny where I thought I could simply leave everything in her hands, there are many things we have to prepare before she arrives! One of it was to prepare was the groceries needed for the first few days (at least). CN can actually assist you on grocery shopping but the first few days will be a little time-tight as everyone is trying to settle down and get acquainted. The agency will usually recommend you to purchase their confinement herbal soup package but I have decided not to as I am planning a menu where my toddler can join in for the meals most of of the time. I will still plan nutritional and herbal soups which are required for confinement purposes and on those days, my firstborn and husband will have something else in replacement. But in any case, this menu is a draft and subjected to changes based on what my CN will recommend when I meet her face to face.

So for the last couple of days, I have been busy planning my meals for the 28 days that I will be confined at home and once it is ready, I will definitely share it on the blog!

Note: This is not a sponsored post. I have paid the deposit for engaging PEM Services and a review will follow shortly based on my personal experience.

Meowmee

Mom to a toddler (3 yo), a newborn and a new family of 4. Still feeling every bit like a kid on most other days. In this blog, I hope to be able to help new mums like myself based on some of the experiences I have. I'm also looking forward to making more friends around the world. I strive to be a supermum (one day) and thanks for reading our blog!

If you have any questions for me, please feel free to email me at m.tanyz@gmail.com :)